Milk Street: Cook What You Have: Make a Meal Out of Almost Anything (A Cookbook)

Christopher Kimball, Michelle Locke, Dawn Yanagihara, Wes Martin, Diane Unger, Bianca Borges, Matthew Card, Jennifer Baldino Cox, Ali Zeigler, Connie Miller, Christine Tobin

Cod and Chickpeas in Tomato-Rosemary Sauce

Start to finish: 30 minutes / Servings: 4

Cod and chickpeas are a common pairing in the Spanish kitchen. We borrowed that combination for this one-pan dinner. Chickpeas simmer in a garlicky, herb-infused tomato sauce seasoned with paprika, then cod fillets are nestled in and poached until tender and flaky. This recipe requires little knifework, and with everything cooked together in a single skillet, the dish comes together quickly and easily. Hot paprika imparts a bit of heat; if you don’t have any on hand, sweet paprika plus a little cayenne makes a fine substitute. Serve with thick slices of toasted crusty bread to sop up the savory sauce.

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon hot paprika OR ¾ teaspoon sweet paprika plus ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand

Two 15½-ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 bay leaves

1 rosemary sprig OR ½ teaspoon dried rosemary

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Four 6-ounce skinless cod fillets, patted dry

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest, plus lemon wedges to serve

In a 12-inch skillet over medium, heat the oil and garlic, stirring often, until the garlic starts to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the paprika, then add the tomatoes with juices, chickpeas, bay, rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper and ½ cup water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, then reduce to medium-low and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have broken down, about 10 minutes.

Nestle the cod skinned side down in the sauce, then spoon on some of the sauce. Cover and cook until the fish flakes easily, 6 to 8 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a simmer.

Off heat, remove and discard the bay and rosemary sprig (if used). Stir in the lemon zest. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with lemon wedges.

Optional garnish: Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

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